


Plea

by kornevable



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Bittersweet, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-27 03:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17758979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kornevable/pseuds/kornevable
Summary: She's here for her, when other people are not.





	Plea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mugen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mugen/gifts).



> Hello!! I couldn't help it, why are these two Like That... :')

She knows it won't last. She was prepared for it, and judging by her distant eyes and sad smile, Reiko knows it, too. They are from different towns. People fear Reiko. There is nothing keeping them together. Souko will eventually move someplace else, like always. She knows it, but she can't stop thinking that this is the right course of action to take, because wrapping her arms around Reiko's shoulders and feeling her heartbeat against hers is everything she ever wanted. There is nothing standing between them; it's just the two of them, alone against the world if it has to be, and Souko will not let go. She wants to squeeze the sadness out of Reiko, kiss every one of her bruises, absorb her loneliness, and share a bit of her warmth, just enough to let Reiko know she's here.

She's here for her, when other people are not.

“You're going to get into trouble,” Reiko whispers, but the smile on her lips is wide, mischievous.

“I don't really mind,” Souko replies. She intertwines her fingers with Reiko's, gently. “Nobody will know about it. And even if they do, I'm not close to anyone for them to care.”

She sees the frown on Reiko's face as soon as the words leave her mouth, so she's quick to dissipate her worries.

“And we'll be moving soon, once I'm better, so the gossips here won't follow me.”

“I guess so...”

Reiko ever so slightly leans against her, an unexpected and surprising contact. Souko stays still, but her stance relaxes as she lets herself looking for Reiko's warmth.

“It's not that hard letting people live their lives,” Reiko mutters. “They're so annoying.”

“I wish you didn't have to go through this. You don't deserve it.”

Souko's words are like a prayer, soft and kind, and Reiko must have picked up on that because she looks up, her eyes filled with more gratitude than Souko has ever seen in someone. These clear eyes are sharp and seem able to lay bare any emotions she's feeling, but there is also a quality to it that never takes away the fighting spirit it shelters. Souko loves it.

“That's how it is.” Reiko shrugs. “Don't waste your energy on these fools. I'm fine.”

You're not, she wants to say. You need to get help, she pleads. But none of these sentences come out, because Reiko will not allow herself to appear vulnerable, not in front of Souko, not in front of anyone. She's so strong it makes her weak. It's not fair to her—the time Souko has known her is far shorter than of those who live in the same town as Reiko, but she can see Reiko is not who she wants people to believe her to be.

Souko's heart aches for her, but she can't do anything—only be here, right now, even if time is running away from them. She swallows a sob, and slowly presses a kiss to Reiko's lips as she closes her eyes. She wants to stay here forever, hands linked with the person most precious to her.

Reiko smiles against her lips, and makes her forget.

 


End file.
